Air booster pump



Jan; 19 1926.

F. J. KIMBALL un oosrnn PUMP Filed August 8,'1921 AffroR/ve-Ys.

Patented Jan. 19, l926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

FRANK J'. KIMBALL', OF LOS ANGELES, CALIEO=RNIA ASSIGNOB T0 FRANK J'. KIMBALLCO., A QOJOBATQN @LF CALIFORNIA.

am Bofos'rna rum.

Application filed. August 8YJ 1921. Serial. No. 490,587.v

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. KIMBALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefuly Air Booster Pump, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates tov the art of pumping water from wells by the use of compressed air and relates more particularly to v apparatus used for transferring to distant application water which has previously been lifted to the surface by compressed air.

Pumping of water by compressed air has been found to be very efficient when confined to action within vertically extending pipes, but, owing tothe tendency of the air to separate from the water when' passing through horizontal pipes, the application of compressed air pumping has been limited to lifting water from wells and discharging it into weir boxes situated adjacent to the ymouth of the well, from whence it is transferred to other points either by gravity or other pumping means. When desired to deliver water to storage tanks located at a distance from the mouth of the well, it has been necessary to install towers of sufficient height to provide a flow by gravity to the storage tank and wherefore it is also necessary to increase the length of the well tubing so that the water will be delivered into a delivery tank situated upon the platform of the tower to, be from there allowed to flow to the storage tanks by gravity.

It is an object of my invention to provide a booster pump which may be mounted on the top of the well tubing used in pumping by compressed air, in which pump the separation of the air from they water will be accomplished and the water delivered through such horizontal and vertical piping as may be provided to storage tanks situated at a distance from the mouth of the well.

It is also a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus of this description in which the air will beentirely separated from the water before entering the delivery pipe for transfer to the storage tanks.

Further objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following description and drawings.

Referring to the drawing, illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is a vertical ,sectional view taken which is for centrally through the apparatus l employ 'and illustrates the application of my invention as mounted upon the lift tubing of a compressed air pumping system.

F ig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on a planev represented by the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Similar parts are represented by similar characters throughout the different views of the drawing.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus in which is embodied my invention comprises essential-ly a receivingchamber 11 and a quieting chamber 12 in which is placed vmechanism 13 for regulating the discharge flow therefrom of the` air which has been separated from the water and which retains a sufficient pressure of air within the chambers 11 and 12 to maintain an outflow of water through the discharge pipe 14.

The receiving chamber 11 is formed ofl a shell 15 having in the bottom thereof a screwed coupling 16 whereby the shell may be mounted upon the well lift tubing 17 rwhich extendsk within the well casing 18.

Centrally within the casingl extends a delivery nozzle 20 which consists of an exten sion to the lift tubing 17 and is Vprovided l to deliver the intermixed air and water against a dellector 21 mounted on the underside ofa cover 22 by any suitable means such as the stud bolts 23 passing through spacers 241 to. provide convenience of application of a wrench to the nuts thereon. The cover 22 may be mounted on the shell 15 by the use of any convenient means, such as the flange 25 shown in the drawing.

The quietingchamber 12 is formed of a shell 30, preferably similar in size and shape to the receiving chamber shell 15, and connection is made between the chambers by an y air duct 31 formed of pipe nipples 32 on whichvarev mounted flanges 33, and by a water duct 35 formed of pipe nipples 36 and ymounting flanges 37. Opposite the lower portion of the watercduct 35 is located a delector vane 40 which directs the entering flow of water upward within the quieting chamber so that such small amounts of air as are not separated'from the water within the receiving chamber may be liberated before the water is passed out through the discharge pipe 14.

The air eontrolvmechanism 13 comprises a balanced choker valve 41 mounted on a hood 42 and the valve is operated through an arm 4:3 which acts on a fulcrum 44 and is attached at 50 to a float rod 5l which extends centrally through a float 52, the position of the float thereon being made adjustable by the provision of set collars 53 and 54. A lioat chamber (SO is arranged in the chamber l2, being formed of a length of tubing 6l having a bottom G2 therein. rlhe float chamber 60 is suspended from a cover plate 65, an opening 6G being provided in the tubing (Sl to allow the entrance of water to the tloat chamber. The cover plate 65 is provided with holes 67 for the free passage of out going air, and the equalization of pressures within the float chamber is provided -for by a slot 68 through which the float rod 5l passes.

In the operation of the booster pump, compressed air is delivered through piping 70 to an air pumping head mounted in the well near the lower end of the lift tubing 1T, and a column of air and water is forced up through the nozzle 20 striking the deflector 21, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. l, whereupon it is deflected downward in the form of a spray against the splash ring 7l which is provided to relieve considerable of the turbulence that would ordinarily exist within the chamber. The greater portion of the air is separated from the water within the receiving chamber and passes through the air duct 3l into the quieting chamber 12. The water, having had the air separated therefrom, collects in the bottom of the receiving chamber, and, rising therein, passes through the water duct 35 into the quieting chamber.

lt will be understood that up to this point in the operation, the float 52 is in its lowermost position and the choker valve ll is en tirely open, allowing the free passage of air into the open. As the water level rises within the chambers l1 and 12, the `lioat is encountered upon reaching a certain height and, as it further rises, the choker valve is actuated and the flow of air therethrough is constrained, resulting in an air pressure created within the chambers. As this pressure increases, the water is gradually forced out through the discharge pipe let. The pressure within the discharge pipe increases in accordance with the head in such pipe and resists the outliow of water from the quieting chamber which results in a further rise of the water within the chambers accompanied by a further closing of the choker valve which increases the interior pressure.

This equalizing of external and internal pressures continues until the water within the discharge pipe has reached the reservoir or whatever application is intended. The water thereafter delivered into the receiving` chamber Hows through the duct 35 and is deflected upward within the quieting chamber, whereupon it gives up whatever air has not been separated in the receiving chamber and flows downwardly through the outlet 38 into the discharge pipe le and continues on to its point of application, the air which has been separated therefrom passing out through the choker valve into the open.

l desire to direct special attention to the use of the interconnected chambers ill employ in the construction of this booster pump as by such construction l am enabled to accomplish the entire separation of the air from the water and thereby provide great el'liciency of operation.

It will be perceived-that with the use of the apparatus I have herein described. all necessity for the use of towers or additional transfer pumping equipment will be eliminated, and that further economy and etticiency is obtained in the operation thereof due to the feature of furnishing a lift pumping and transfer pumping equipment having a minimum of mechanical parts to be attended.

claim as my invention:

l. In an air booster pump; a shell forming a receiving chamber arranged to receive air and water from water lift tubing; a shell forming a quieting chamber; connections between said chambers whereby air and water may freely pass from the receiving chamber to the quieting chamber, there being a wall .member for directing the water upwardly as it enters said quieting chamber so that air contained therein may be freed before the discharge thereof from said quieting chamber; means for restricting the flow ot air from said chambers; and means for de livering water from the quieting chamber under pressure of the air in said chamber.

2. Tn an air booster pump; a shell forming a receiving chamber arranged to receive air and water from water lift tubing; a shell forn'iing a quieting chamber; connections between said chambers whereby air and water may freely pass from the receiving chamber to the quieting chamber; a def-lector plate in said quieting chamber for directing the water upwardly as it enters said quieting chamber so that air contained therein may be freed before the discharge thereof from said quieting chamber; means for restricting the flow of air from said chambers; and means for delivering water in a continuous stream from the quieting chamber under pressure of the air in said chamber,

3. In an air booster pump; a shell forming a receiving chamber arranged to receive air and water from water lift tubing; a shell forming a quieting chamber; connec tions between said chambers whereby air and water may freely pass from the receiving chamber to the q uieting chamber; means for iii restricting the flow of air from said chambers; mean-s for delivering water in a continuous stream from the qu-ieting chamber under pressure of the air in said chamber; and ii'oat means actuated by the level of water in said quieting chamber for operating said air restricting means; and a float housing surrounding and extending downwardly to a point considerably below the bottom of said .float and having pressure equalizing openings near the bottom and top thereof.

4l. In an air booster pump; a shell forming a receiving chamber arranged to receive water and air from water lift tubing; a shell forming aquieting chamber; a water connection between said chambers and below the water level therein; an open air connection between said chambers above the surface of the water therein; an air pressure controlling valve mounted on said quieting chamber; a float in said quieting chamber; connections between said fioat and said valve; means in said quieting chamber for deflecting the entering water upwardly; and means for delivering water from sai-d quieting chamber under pressure of the air in said chamber.

5. In combination; Water lift tubing; means for delivering air under pressure to said tubing; a shell on the upper end of said tubing forming a receiving chamber; a nozzle on the upper end of said tubing extending upwardly into said receiving chamber; a deflector in the upper part'of said chamber above said nozzle; a shell forming a quieting chamber; an air connection between said chambers at the upper part thereof; a water connection between said chambers at the lower part of said chambers; water delivery piping at the bottom of said quieting chamber; a deflector plate in said quieting chamber for directing the iniiowing water upwardly away from the mouth of said water delivery piping and means for regulating the air pressure in said chambers.

livery piping at the bottom of said quieting chamber; a deflector in said quieting chamber for deflecting the entering water upwardly away from the mouth of said water delivery piping; and means for regulating the air pressure in said chambers, said regulating means comprising an air discharge valve mounted on the quieting chamber, a float in said quieting chamber; and connections be-Y @er lift tubing; an entirely separate but similar shell disposed acjacent to said receiving chamber for use as a quieting chamber; a pipe extend-ing between the upper ends of said shells; forming an air passage between said chambers; a pipe extending between the lewer ends of said shells forming a water passage between said chambers, said pipes bei so arranged'that air is delivered into the upper part of the quieting chamber and water; substantially free from air; delivered to the lower part of the quieting chamber, said shells being connected in series with reference to the direction of the water flow; an air outlet valve; a float for closing said valve in proportion to. the rise l of the water level in said quieting chamber; and' water discharge pipes for conveying such water from said quieting chamber.

S. In `combination: water lift tubing; means for delivering air under pressure to said tubing; a shell on the upper end of said tubing forming 4a receiving chamber; a nozzle on the upper end of said tubing extending upwardly into said receiving chamber; a deflector in the upper part of said chamber above said nozzle; a splash ring in said receiving chamber at a point below the normal water level; a shell form ing a quieting chamber; an air connection between said chambers at the upper part thereof; a water connectionbetween said chambers at the lower part of said chambers; water delivery piping at the bottom of said quieting chamber; and means for regulating the air pressure in said chambers.

9. In combination: water lift tubing; means for delivering air under pressure to said tubing; a shellon the upper end of said tubing forming a receiving chamber; a nozzle on the upper end of said tubing extending upwardly into said receiving chamber; a

deflector in the upper part of said chamber above said nozzle; a splash ring in said receiving chamber at a. pointvbelow the normal water level; a shell forming a quieting chamber; an air connection between said chanr bers at the upper part thereof; a water connection between said chambers at the lower part of said chambers; water delivery piping at the bottom of said quieting chamber; and means for regulating the air pressure in said chambers; said regulating means comprising an air discharge valve mounted on the quieting chamber, a float insaid quieting chamber; and connections between said float and valve.

l0. In combination: water lift tubing; means for delivering air under pressure to lOO CTI

said tubing; a shell on the upper end of said tubing forming a receiving chamber; a nozzle on the upper end of said tubing extending upwardly into said receiving chamber; a deflector in the upper part of said chamber above said nozzle; a shell 'forming a quieting' chamber; an air connection between said chambers at the upper part thereof; a water connection between said chambers at the lower part of said chambers; water delivery piping leading from said quieting chamber; a detlector plate in said quieting` chamber for directing the inflowing water away from the mouth of said water delire Ay piping; and means for regulating the air pressure in said chambers.

l1. ln an air booster pump1 the combination of: walls forming' a pair of chambers through both of which all water pumped must pass, said chambers communicating through an air opening' and a water opening, the air opening being adapted to carry air from the upper part ot one chamber to the upper part of the other chamber7 and said water opening being adapted to convey water substantially free of air from the lower part of one chamber to the lower part of the other chamber; means for introducing air and water from water lift tubing,- into one of said chambers, Where an initial separation may take place; a bottom outlet pipe leading from the other of said chambers; and means for delivering the flow of water away `from the mouth of said outlet pipe.

l2. In an air booster pump, the combination of: walls forming an enclosed space; induction means through which water and air from water lift tubing are delivered into said enclosed space; an air outlet and a water outlet; means for constricting the flow of air through said air outlet so as to 'force the water through said water outlet; and means for direct-ing the newly entered Water away from the mouth of said water outlet.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this lst day of elugust 1921.

FRANK J. KIMBALL. 

